Montenegro is a mountainous country, more than half of its territory is located at an altitude of over 1.000 meters above sea level, the word "mountain" is in its name. However, the interlocutors of "Vijesti" agree, Montenegro has not yet properly utilized this natural potential, and foreigners are more aware of its wealth in this sense than its own citizens.
"Montenegro built its historical identity on mountain culture, freedom myth, anthropology and anthology of mountain society, while today it mostly treats its own mountains and villages without a long-term development strategy, insufficiently valorizing their potential," says a professor at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Montenegro, PhD, for "Vijesti". Rade Sarovic.
President of the Mountaineering Association Bozidar Janketic, an active mountaineer, believes that there is still no serious systematic approach to presenting natural wealth on the European and world mountaineering map.
"Mountaineering should not be viewed only as a sport or recreation. Through mountaineering, a relationship with nature is developed, people learn to protect the environment and become aware of the value of the space in which they live," he said.
He adds that mountaineering and mountain tourism can contribute to the development of sports tourism, the local economy, and the development of the country in general, but that, in his opinion, there is not sufficient awareness of this among decision-makers.
"For decades, the focus has been mainly on the coast and the summer tourist season, while mountainous areas have often been left aside, even though they offer the opportunity to develop tourism throughout the year," he said, adding that more balanced development and stronger connections to the north with the tourist offer must be sought.
Šarović points to the importance of mountaineering as a public health issue:
"Sociologists and psychologists are increasingly warning that digital media and a culture of constant stimulation are producing generations that are accustomed to short intervals of concentration and strive for instant gratification (along with a superficial experience of the world). In this sense, spending time in nature can have an almost therapeutic dimension for our youngest. The mountains require patience, physical presence, spatial orientation, cooperation with other people, and the development of capacities that modern digital culture is gradually suppressing."
The Ministry of Tourism assures that mountain and rural tourism is one of the most important development potentials of the country, saying that in the north of the country there has been a "real tourism boom" in the past two years, that tourists are increasingly interested in active holidays, eco and adventure tourism. When talking about domestic visitors, they say that it is important to develop a culture of spending time in nature, especially among young people:
"Through education, promotion of spending time in nature, organized activities and development of domestic tourism. When we get to know our own natural potential better, we experience it differently, appreciate it more and present it more successfully to the world."
Area of desirable deceleration
More than 84 percent of Montenegro's territory is located at an altitude of over 500 meters, and more than half at an altitude of over 1.000 meters. Statistics show that only two percent of all overnight stays of tourists visiting Montenegro are in mountain resorts. For example, as stated in the book "Discourses on the Mountains of Montenegro and Slovenia", Slovenia records 31 percent of overnight stays in mountain resorts.
For Slovenians, it is also true that “you are not a true Slovenian” if you have not climbed Triglav, the highest mountain peak in the country, at least once in your life. A similar narrative, however, does not exist in Montenegro, although Slovenia, Šarović points out, is a much flatter country than Montenegro in geomorphological terms.
"The key role here has never been played only by geography, but by the historical, social, cultural, economic and ecological matrix from which the so-called 'Triglav principle' emerged. The Triglav phenomenon in Slovenia was not built exclusively as a mountaineering tradition, but above all as a model of nature protection and preservation of the collective identity of a society," says Šarović.
This tradition, he adds, perhaps best reflects the difference between Slovenia and Montenegro - the difference between the mere possession of natural resources and their symbolic internalization in the collective consciousness of a people.
"That is why I believe that organizing similar events in Montenegro would have a much broader meaning than just a sporting or tourist experience. Such models could represent a form of symbolic connection of society with its own space, strengthening collective consciousness aimed at protecting nature, but also developing a culture of mutual understanding and tolerance of different communities that share the territory of our country," he says.
The Ministry of Tourism says that the point is not that every citizen should stand on the highest peak in the country:
"We should develop a culture of spending time in nature and getting to know our own country better. It is important for people to feel the mountains, spend time in national parks, visit katuns, hiking trails, viewpoints and mountain villages, because it is through personal experience that a relationship with space and awareness of its value is created," they said.
Šarović also points to the importance of mountaineering for public health.
"Perhaps the greatest paradox of modern man is that he has never in his history had more opportunities for movement and open access to the world, and at the same time has never been more distant from other people and the elementary experience of nature. It is against this background that sociological theories of late modernity have for decades pointed to the growing alienation of man, not only from nature and other people, but also from his own community, his own body, time and the experience of immediacy," he says.
This, he adds, is especially pronounced today, when man is simultaneously hyper-connected and deeply isolated.
"In such a context, the issue of mountains takes on an almost countercultural meaning. The mountain becomes a space of desirable slowing down, physical effort, necessary silence, and direct experience of nature and reality. More precisely, of all those values that are increasingly rare in modern consumerist society," he states.
Nature "learns" from childhood
Janketić from the Mountaineering Association believes that working with the youngest is extremely important:
"Through the education system, children should be directed more towards nature, healthy lifestyles and getting to know the mountains of our country. Schools, sports teams and institutions should cooperate much more with mountaineering societies, because love for nature and a sense of responsibility for space are acquired from a young age. In this way, we create generations who will know how to appreciate and preserve the natural wealth of Montenegro," he said. According to Šarović, the true development of Montenegro's mountain potential should begin with education that will gradually lead to a change in the social awareness of the population:
"Awareness that will be built on the idea that going to the mountains is not a luxury, an exotic hobby or a mere waste of time, but should become an integral part of the culture of our lives."
Sustainable development and nature conservation
Preserved nature is Montenegro's most important resource, so further development must be based on the principles of sustainability, said the tourism department.
"The goal is not mass tourism, but a quality offer that preserves natural values and brings concrete benefits to local communities."
Dr. Šarović agrees that the future offer should not be based on mass tourism:
"Mountain tourism cannot be based solely on investment urbanism and the logic of exploitation, but above all on preserving the natural and cultural authenticity of rural areas. Development should not be measured solely by the number of overnight stays, investments, commercial content or tickets sold in national parks. The essence of future development must be built through models of authentic slowdown, small and sustainable capacities, networked family economies, strong ecological infrastructure and connections with other mountain areas, which once had similar dilemmas, and today may have the necessary solutions," he said.
936.088
visits were recorded in five national parks in Montenegro during 2025, which is 28 percent more than in 2024.
According to the National Park Service of Montenegro, the highest number of visits was recorded in the Durmitor National Park, with almost 400. The lowest number of visits was registered in the Prokletije National Park, with just over 52.
The parks sold 19.787 annual passes last year.
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